Deletion of HMG17 in uterine leiomyomas with ring chromosome 1

Uterine leiomyomas are characterized by several subgroups with characterist ic chromosomal aberrations, mainly 12q24-15, 6p21, or interstitial deletion s of chromosomes 3 and 7. For the first two subgroups, aberrations of the H MGIC and HMGIY genes have been described and are held responsible for tumor initiation. For other subgroups no molecular findings have been described as of yet. We focus here on a smaller subgroup of uterine leiomyomas with a ring chromosome 1 either as the only karyotypic deviation or occurring alo ng with other abnormalities. In the p-arm of chromosome 1 HMG17, another me mber of the high-mobility group of proteins has been localized to the short arm of chromosome 1 (1p35) with two PAC clones on metaphase spreads of a u terine leiomyoma ring(1). Hybridization signals for these probes were not d etected within the ring chromosome consistent with loss or deletion of HMG1 7. These findings suggest that HMG17 does not play a mechanistic role in le iomyoma similar to that observed with other high-mobility proteins. (C) Els evier Science Inc., 1998.